Lorena Ochoa Plays Her Way to the World’s Top with AudiSource: Audi AG

Best female golfer has now been partnering with Audi for one year

Mexican golfer clinched season’s largest number of tournament wins

Audi continues extensive golfing commitment in 2008

Ingolstadt – For Lorena Ochoa, 2007 was absolutely a dream year: With eight triumphs, the Mexican golfer clinched the year’s largest number of victories, reaped various awards and played her way to the top of all LPGA (Ladies Professional Golf Association) tables. Audi is particularly pleased about these exploits as the 26-year-old has been playing with support from the “four rings” for the past year and privately drives Audi cars.

As a sportswoman Lorena Ochoa values the fortes of the quattro drive: With an Audi S4, an Audi Q7 and an Audi A6, the Mexican golfer drives as many as three Audi models. “For me, Audi offers the ideal mix of sportiness, comfort, stunning design and the type of suitability for everyday driving I need in my sport,” says the current number one of the world’s standings. “Another reason why Audi is an outstanding partner is the company’s longstanding worldwide golfing commitment, its promotion of amateurs as well as its support of high-calibre tournaments.”

The 2007 season was dominated by the personable Mexican, who was born in Guadalajara: Ochoa managed to clinch a total of eight victories on the LPGA tour – a commanding record which has made her the world’s number one since April 2007. Of 25 tournaments there were merely four she did not finish among the top ten, and the sum of 4.3 million U.S. dollars she has won has put her at the top of the list of money winners as well. “This was a fantastic season, which I simply relished,” says Ochoa. “Of course there was a lot of pressure – but that’s exactly what I thrive on. And losing now and then simply means you give all you’ve got afterwards to rise to the very top again. That’s my passion.”

With her performances, Lorena Ochoa has built an outstanding reputation not only back home. In addition to her position as the front runner in the world standings, 2007 saw her reap the titles of “LPGA Player of the Year”, “Rolex Player of the Year”, “Glamour Woman of the Year” and ”AP Female Athlete of the Year”. Ochoa enthuses: “After 2006 I actually thought things couldn’t be topped. But I set my sights high and wanted to win even more tournaments. More than these exploits I really couldn’t wish for.”

But Lorena Ochoa also returns a lot of what sport has given her. For example, she – together with Audi – recently took up a commitment of supporting the “Best Buddies” charity, which takes care of mentally handicapped people. At a golf tournament called the “Audi R8 Challenge” Ochoa played together with other golfers. The winner can now drive the Audi R8 for a whole year. But the real winners are the disabled people who received the entire pot of the registration fees as a donation from Audi and from Ochoa. In addition, Ochoa supports schools in her native Mexico through her “Lorena Ochoa Foundation”.

The partnership with Lorena Ochoa represents only a small part of the programme with which Audi has been supporting international golf for the past two decades. In 2008 the Audi quattro Cup, which is being staged for the 18th time and, with about 80,000 participants around the world, is one of the most popular series for amateur golfers, will again be an integral component of this commitment. In the professional arena AUDI AG is venturing onto new territory and, together with the Bayerische Hypo- und Vereinsbank AG, for the first time is positioning a high-calibre professional golfing tournament for ladies, which will make its début from 29 May to 1 June 2008 as the “HypoVereinsbank Ladies German Open presented by Audi”. In addition, Audi will again be a partner of the Omega European Masters to be staged in Crans Montana from 4 to 7 September and – since last season – has been on board as a co-sponsor and “Official Car” of the Irish Open.